January 31, 2016

It's 2016...and I've decided to continue DAILY BLURBS for another year! These short highlights have given me a way to appreciate life more deeply and reflect more honestly. It's a daily reminder that life truly is a gift, and I couldn't be more excited for this third year of blurbing. I hope yu guys continue to be a part of my journey, because I have a feeling it's going to be a wild year!

QUICK TAKE: I appreciate the thought that was put into the packaging of these products. truNAKED eyeshadow palette - They are sleek and have a lot of surface area for brushes. Plumpify Blast Pro Mascara - I love the neon red brush on the Plumpify mascara wands. Oh Sugar! Vitamin Infused Lip Balm - I adore the playful packaging of the Oh Sugar! lip balms. USAGE TIPS: truNaked Eyeshadow Palette - Using an eye primer is a must. I like to start with the matte eye shadows first and build from lightest shade to darkest shade. Then I layer the shimmer eye shadows (from lightest to darkest) on top of the matte base. Plumpify BlastPro Mascara - The mascara has a large brush head, so it will take some getting use to. I like rotating the brush as I sweep the product through my lashes. I also use the waterproof version to avoid droopy lashes.Oh Sugar! Vitamin Infused Lip Balm - Try to keep the layers of balm light. Applying too much can make your lips appear greasy in texture or splotchy in color. THE VERDICT:truNaked Eyeshadow Palette - LOVE LOVE LOVE! I tend to steer clear of eyeshadows, because I don't have a lot of surface area to work with on my asian monolids. Eyeshadows can look ridiculous on me, so I was surprised and impressed with how user friendly this palette is. Every shade is beautiful and looks really great on my golden skin tone. Plumpify BlastPro Mascara - Covergirl is my favorite drugstore brand for mascaras, and they really knocked it out of the park with this one. It does such a great job at adding volume to my sparse lashes and the special brush really helps lift and curl each lash.Oh Sugar! Vitamin Infused Lip Balm - I love the Covergirl LipSlicks Smoochies Lip Balms, but I always thought they were a bit too pigmented for everyday use. I consider Smoochies to be more of a super hydrating lipstick. The Oh Sugar! Lip Balms are very sheer and are perfect for everyday use. They feel less balmy on my lips and have more of a gel-like consistency. I did notice that it's not very long-lasting, so I found myself constantly reapplying. For that reason, I feel like these new balms could be better, but I'm satisfied for the most part.

January 10, 2016

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing and review purposes.

All opinions are honest and my own.

QUICK TAKE:
I've never been been on a diet or tried foods that were part of a nutrition plan, so I was interested to see how satiated I would feel after a day on the Slimfast diet.

USAGE TIPS:
I feel like the meal replacement bars, shakes, and smoothies are best used for breakfast and lunch. I enjoy having a satisfying, sit-down meals for dinner.

THE VERDICT:
I was surprised by how well Slimfast addressed my hunger and kept me feeling pretty satisfied all day. The 2-1-3 rule actually kept me in check and helped me resist eating anything that wasn't a part of the plan. 2-1-3 stands for the amount of food allotted for one day: 2 - meal replacement meals (SlimFast shake, smoothie, or bar), 1 - 500 calorie meal, and 3 - 100 calorie snacks. Knowing that I could eat a 500 calorie meal for dinner kept me motivated throughout the day.

The baked crisps and drizzled crisps were both quite good and were excellent low calorie and low fat snacks. The meal replacement shake was delicious but would have been better sans the sucralose. The meal replacement bar was my favorite item and something I will continue to purchase. Overall, I was really impressed with this nutrition plan, and I would definitely recommend Slimfast to anyone who is trying to shed some weight or get back on a healthier diet.